P.U.P. leader condemns violence in streets

The outcry against the violence which occurred during Saturday’s carnival road march has been resounding… and today the People’s United Party issued a statement condemning crime and violence. According to Opposition Leader John Briceño, the violent behaviour and senseless killing are seriously affecting our way of life and are threats to our development. Briceño called on the government to take the lead in efforts to address the situation. At the August twenty-first sitting of the House of Representatives, Briceño says he made a presentation on some efforts he believes can help to remedy the situation.

John Briceño, Party Leader, P.U.P.
“I listened very keenly to the Prime Minister last night and mind you he is a very talented attorney, but his immediate response is about passing more laws and just passing more laws will not address the issue. In my presentation, I was calling for a number of things. First of all, we need to strengthen the police department, we need to get the police better trained, we need to get hem more equipment, we need to strengthen the D.P.P., get better trained magistrates, get the forensic lab that they have been talking about for so long. These are some of the things we need to do immediately to try to turn things around. It is unfortunate that this is happening, especially at a time when we are supposed to be celebrating as a people the anniversary of our independence. We have so much to celebrate and for this to happen at this time I think it is sad and it also worries you. You start to question yourself, where are we going as a country where some individual is prepared to leave a grenade in an area where you are going to have innocent people, innocent children and could have killed so many people you know. What is happening to us as a society? And we need to start to ask ourselves and maybe take this time to do some sort of reflection. What is it that we are supposed to do, we just can’t expect that the government and government answers everything, but the private sector, the NGOs, the clergy and we as citizens of this country; all of us have to do something to turn this around.”